Taken verbatim from the final chapter in Gary Miller’s book “Going Till You’re Gone.”
The Spirit of Caleb
When the twelve Israelites spies returned from spying out the land of Canaan, the Bible says only two of the spies brought back a report that was pleasing to God. God mentions Caleb specifically by name when he makes his wonderful declaration “But my servant Caleb, because he had another spirit with him, and hath followed me fully, him will I bring into the land where into he went; and his seed shall possess it.”
Something in Caleb was different. Caleb saw the same giants in the land of Canaan the other spies had seen. He knew those mighty Canaanite armies were more powerful than the Israelites. He had seen the wall cities and the mighty fortresses. He was even well aware that the children of Anak lived there – men rumored to be nine feet tall and extremely fierce. Caleb knew all this. He knew the Israelites were like grasshoppers beside this kind of enemy. So why did Caleb indignantly face the people and say, “Let us go up at once, and possess it; for we are well able to overcome it”?
God answers that question for us. He says, “Because he had another spirit with him.”
Another Spirit!
Something different was driving Caleb. He saw something the others did not and arrived at conclusions that seems strange and wrong to the majority. Caleb didn’t win the argument at Kadesh Barnea, and for almost forty years he found himself plodding along in the dusty desert, listening to the murmuring of the faithless masses.
But at the end of Caleb’s life, we get one more glimpse into the spirit. If there was ever a qualified candidate for retirement, it was Caleb. If anyone deserve rest from the battle, wasn’t it him? Moses was gone now, and with a large family, a long history of faithful service, and the normal aches and pains that eighty-five years brings to a body, surely it was time for the La-Z-Boy. But instead we find Caleb begging Joshua to let him take on those same giant Anakims his peers had been so fearful of and who still resided in the hill country. “Now therefore give me this mountain,“ Caleb pled with Joshua.
Picture this in your mind. An eighty-five-year-old man begs his commander to be allowed to take one more mountain! Imagine the effect this has on younger soldiers! How many young men went out to battle with renewed vigor because of inspiration of Caleb’s example? The Lord said Caleb had another spirit but what kind of spirit was it? What would inspire a man like Caleb to keep asking for more battles and more opportunities to fight? Let’s look at some characteristics and attitudes that define the spirit of Caleb.
1. Caleb stood for truth.
We would you like to assume that peer pressure is a problem only for youth, but most of us are very susceptible to it even in old age. Can you imagine standing up against ten other spies and all the tribes and stating an opinion so wildly unpopular that they were ready to stone you? The visible facts were not in Caleb’s favor. There really were giants, walled cities, and much bigger armies in that land. We can only imagine the murmuring and murderous threats. What kind of a man would try to take us and our children into that kind of slaughter? But Caleb trusted God and was willing to stand for truth in the face of the opposition. That was part of the spirit of Caleb. And I am thankful to see that same spirit in many older believers I know today.
2. Caleb was a man of persistent pursuit.
Caleb never lost his vision for following God. All through those years of wandering in the wilderness, his pursuit of the will of God was clear. It would have been tempting to succumb to discouragement out there. Caleb couldn’t understand from the beginning why the rest of the people wouldn’t just believe what God said. And after many years of putting up with their unbelief, it would have only been normal to feel like surrendering. But Caleb didn’t give up.
Years later the apostle Paul described that same passion and desire to follow God when he said, “I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.” Those are the words of a man who, with purpose of heart, is pursuing God with all he has. Caleb and the Apostle Paul both exhibited a single purpose in their lives that was contagious.
3. Caleb compared the problem to the promise.
It seems like Caleb couldn’t even imagine a promise from God not being performed. Too often I find myself considering the obstacles, and there are always plenty of them to examine. Sometimes I think I even have a “gift” for this! There is nothing wrong with examining problems. I think God wants us to be realistic about our obstacles, and I believe Caleb was. He saw the giants just as clearly as any of the other spies did. But while the ten spies compared their ability to the problem, Caleb compared the problem to the promise.
4. Caleb didn’t live in the past.
We have a tendency as we grow older to focus more on past battles than on present warfare. Caleb didn’t do that. Think what wonderful history tours Caleb could have conducted! Can you imagine the stories he could have told and the talks he could have given? There is time to look back and learn from the past. There is nothing wrong with recounting history, admiring days gone by, and reliving victories past, but it is valuable only if equips us for the battle today. We are not living in the time of the early church or the Reformation. While there is much we can learn from those eras, we need to keep our primary focus on the mountains that haven’t been conquered yet.
Caleb lives out this truth. He didn’t allow the victories of the past to so envelop his mind that he became useless in fighting the battle in his day. He didn’t try to take all the mountains, and neither did he let the fact that there were many mountains keep him from his. Where is your focus? What is the battle in your day? What is the mountain on which God is calling you to fight? You will need to prayerfully address this question in your own life, but rest assured, God has a mountain for you.
Conclusion
Alfred Noble need a midcourse correction in his life. Many never have that opportunity. Take time to analyze your life. Examine it carefully and then answer this question: Would the way you envisioned living the last half of your life make sense if the gospel didn’t exist?
Many of us find it easy to believe we are living lives of self-denial and dedication to Jesus, when in reality we may be simply conforming to the expectations of our particular church or culture. Some of the things we like to think are a sign a selfless living may actually make our lives much more enjoyable and stress-free. There are enough natural benefits in belonging to believers’ churches that, even if the gospel were a myth, there would be plenty of reasons to continue living as we are.
But what I have consistently noticed in believers who are sold out for Christ is that their lives would be pure foolishness were it not for the gospel. Their dedication to Jesus Christ causes them to make choices that don’t make earthly sense.
I am blessed as I see a growing number of middle-aged and elderly believers taking another look at what it means to live the Christian life. They have the spirit of Caleb, a desire to conquer more mountains for the Lord.
May the spirit of Caleb describe your life as well. My prayer is that your generation be recognized not for casually coasting but for continuing to conquer. May you be known for intentionally pursuing the enemy, encouraging your fellow soldiers, and fighting for the Kingdom. And may you keep on going in his strength – till you’re gone.
Now also when I am old and gray headed, O God, forsake me not; until I have shewed thy strength unto this generation, and thy power to everyone that is to come. Psalms 71:18